Hold it Back
by whispermusic266
Summary: Percy Jackson doesn't know what he isn't hiding in his life. He's abused by his step-father Gabe. He's forced to become an illegal drug dealer before he even knew it was bad. No one, not Thalia, Nico, or Grover can know. No one can. And especially not Annabeth Chase. ALL HUMAN!


**Hello to all you people reading this! This is my first fanfiction story but I do have a wattpad, and my username is Graystars576. Check it out!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the soap opera Rick Riordan calls books.**

****NOT A HAPPY STORY! IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH ABOUT BLOOD, ETC., TURN BACK NOW!**

**You have been warned.**

Percy walked joyfully home from school, swinging his lunch box as he went. The bright and strangely cheerful sun shone bravely through the disappearing dismal clouds of New York. "Good afternoon!" a tall man called to him from the front door of a bakery, and Percy called the greeting back, skipping farther along. The breeze picked up slightly as he halted to a stop in front of the door to his mansion. The mansion's features were old and timeless, and it was exactly how he liked it. Immediately it was opened by two smiling parents. His mother, Sally Jackson, was dressed simply but beautifully. It was clear to see that Gabe Ugliano, Percy's step-dad, thought she was beautiful too.

"Percy!" Sally cried, throwing her arms around him. "Oh, how was school, my handsome little boy?"

Percy grinned at her. His front two teeth had yet to move in. "Really good mommy! Everyone likes me and the teachers like me and I can read really well and everyone says I'm so smart! And Elliott and I made silly art projects and I had a really good lunch, oh, and mommy, can she come over today?"

"Of course she can!" Gabe replied, a handsome smile splitting his face. "You can have all the friends you want in the world! You're such a good boy, Percy! And so popular too! It would be my pleasure to do it! Because your mother and I love you so much! And I love you too, Sally," he added as she pecked him on the cheek.

Sally put Percy down and he walked down the hallway holding his small hand in her soft one as Gabe shut the door behind them with a loud CLANG! It worked its way down into Percy's soul and he heard earsplitting shrieks coming from his mother that never seemed to end…

* * *

><p>Percy jolted awake with a start. He quickly closed his eyes again and shoved his face into the pillow.<p>

"It's not real," he muttered to himself. "Just a dream." And what a dream. Even now he could see Gabe torturing her brutally, her dark mass of curly brown hair whipping around as she searched for an escape…and when she found none…

He sobbed a dry heave. His dreams always, to put it lightly, sucked. He'd yet to meet someone with as vivid dreams as his. Sometimes they were flashbacks, sometimes it was dreams of what could happen. He didn't know what was worse.

But it didn't matter. He'd made his choice, and he'd never once regretted it. And now, especially, wasn't any time to start regretting anything. He wiped his tears fiercely away with the back of his hand. Now wasn't any time to cry, either. He never cried. Not since he was eight years old. He'd never been able to make them come. And that was definitely a good thing. His resistance to crying helped him pass off his façade. What he wasn't hiding, Percy wasn't sure.

He staggered out of bed and into the bathroom, careful not to step on any beer cans or any other things of Gabe's, for fear of waking him up.

* * *

><p>As soon as he walked out the door of his dinky apartment building and onto the drab Manhattan sidewalk, Percy breathed a sigh of relief. He would be able to avoid Gabe until this afternoon. He darted in and out of neighborhoods with quick precision. He absolutely could not be caught.<p>

As usual he reached the crumbling building with plenty of time. He pulled his hood closer around his face. It was imperative his face was not seen.

"Boy!" someone called.

Percy's head jerked up. "Sam." Sam was your average person off the street, for the most part. He also happened to be Percy's boss.

Sam handed Percy a grungy bag full of, Percy knew, illegal drugs.

"Sell these for a few hours and be careful. You know the routine," Sam grunted.

Percy nodded. He'd known the routine for more years than he could count. He'd sold illegal drugs since before he'd even known it was bad. And by the time he'd figured out that it _was _bad, it was too late. He was in too deep. Percy gave him a half-hearted smile and trudged down the corner where he always waited. While waiting, he ripped open the bag and inhaled. The scent hit him like a tidal wave. Yep, definitely illegal drugs. And a good haul this time, too. There was quite a bit of drugs in there.

A haggard-faced faced woman stepped out of her car and stumbled her way up to Percy. They both knew why he was there. This woman was a regular customer.

"Heroin," she said, her voice cracking. Percy dug through the bag and quickly found the familiar drug. He never had any trouble finding the drugs. Every now and then Sam would hand him a rare and unfamiliar one, but he always explained what it was and how to recognize it.

He handed the woman her heroin. "Sixty," he announced. The woman dug through her well-worn purse and handed him the money. She turned away from Percy and was trembling as she drove away, crying.

Percy felt a wave of self-loathing wash over him. Who was he, to ruin this woman's life? Percy hated himself for being the destructive drug dealer he was. If not for the fact that his mother needed him, he would've committed suicide a long time ago, and he knew this very well.

Percy sighed. Poor Sally Jackson, the once beautiful woman who, unlike Percy, didn't deserve what she'd gotten in life. When she was young, her parents had died in a plane crash, leaving her to move in with her uncle. When she was in high school she had to quit because he fell ill and she was forced to take care of him. When he died she was absolutely broken with nothing in her life. And then she'd met Percy's dad.

Percy felt coils of anger writhe in his stomach but swallowed back his fury, even though he wanted to scream his frustration to the world. His father had abandoned his mother before he was even born. And then Sally had met Gabe and married him. Percy clenched his fists in anger. What on earth had she seen in him? Why had she put with that jerk for so long? Percy wondered if he'd ever find out.

Another woman walked up and Percy shoved everything out of his mind. No emotions could show while he sold drugs. This was a very important part of his job. Who would buy drugs from an emotional drug dealer?

This routine continued on for a few hours the people, the drugs, the selling. And Percy's mind was set only on selling. No time for anything else.

Finally, when Percy had almost sold half the bag, it was time for school and Percy quickly hid the drugs away.

Feet hitting pavement. That was all would think about.


End file.
